Persona 3: Resonantia
by sleepinginsomnia
Summary: An alternate play on the original story of Persona 3.
1. I - The Magician

I - The Magician

"I'm not strange, weird, off nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours." - Lewis Carroll

* * *

 _Time never waits._

 _It delivers all equally to the same end._

 _You, who wish to safeguard the future, however, limited it may be..._

 _You will be given one year; go forth without falter, with your heart as your guide..._

Vaguely dead silence was all that Minato could hear, gaze fluttering towards the words sprawled across the pages of a novel as he flipped through it once again. It was a sound that rung familiar to him as the paper roughly smacked against one another before ending with the noise of the book slamming closed. This had been a common occurrence lately, flipping back and forth through a novel, just to calm his grated nerves with the sound the familiar scent of worn paperback books. An action that lay reminiscent of his thirteen-year-old cousin, who would often be seen in his room flicking through the frayed pages of Sherlock Holmes, a book that had been hanging on threads of the binder with the fervour he used to read back then. The train bumped against the tracks, now, jerking Minato back into the real world and forcing him to catch a glimpse at his reflection, something in which all that stared back was a blank expression.

...

He looked away now, gaze falling to the scratched appearance of his MP3 player that swung with the movement of the train, mirroring the movement of his headphones as he began messing with the wires. Prior to being stuffed into the train, he had wished he declined the scholarship, preferring the safety of his home and the lack of bad memories associated with it. Not that his cousin would let him, in fact, she was the one who attempted to push him into it now that some life in him had returned. He let out a tired exhale, once again clasping the book shut before rubbing the bridge of his nose, all which aligned just in time to hear the train announcement.

"Due to a malfunction in the rail switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologise for the delay. The next stop is Iwatodai." The train slowed down to a halt screeching against the track before halting, leaving Minato to stand up from his seat and headed for the nearest exit, the doors sliding open and revealing the bustle of the station. As Minato went to step out he paused listening to the thrum of wings as a small blue butterfly flew past a glimmer of cerulean in beige.

 _Odd..._ The thought lingered as Minato stepped into the concrete platform, his footsteps heavy against the pavement as static bounced against his ears, jutting with the sudden dark. Minato paused, wires tapping against the shirt of his new uniform as he scanned his surroundings. The silence stuck unbearably thick across his shoulders as the clock stood still. Dark, still and undeniably tepid a baleful green had settled over the station, an image that barely traced out a series of coffins each one a pasty black and red. The sight did little to panic him, rather it was the unique calmness of the night that he moved slipping in and out of cast shadows before finally passing through into the city. Skyscrapers towered over him with their shadows shielding him from the sickly pale green moonlight a sight that forced his eyes to the sky.

 _It's too_ _quiet..._

His short trip across the city soon forced his legs to the doors of a building. The door lain out for all to see as moved up the steps gazing off to the side as a glimmer of gold caught his eye.

"Iwatodai dorm..." He mumbled, reading the words carved into gold-plated plaque near the door. When after recalling that this was the dorm he was staying at he turned the doorknob hearing the click of it opening stepping in and shutting the door behind him. As expected the entire room was dark and his eyes barely had to adjust to look around the dorm, what he did not expect, however, was sight of a boy in prisoner clothes perched on the edge of the sign-in counter, legs swinging in the air haphazardly as he stared Minato down, keenly observing the teenager.

"You're late." A familiar apathy was strung throughout his voice as he continued staring at Minato, "I've been waiting a long time." He smiled before hopping off the counter, in hand a crimson-stained paper envelope. An object that set Minato on edge as he stared it down.

"If you want to proceed, then please sign here." The boy held out the paper to him, the red pressed firmly between his fingers, "It's a contract. Don't worry, there's no need to be scared. It only binds you to accept full responsibility for your actions..." The boy explained inquisitive in manner as he pressed the contract into his hands, something that Minato grasped reluctantly as he stared down at the ink plastered across it.

 _I chooseth this fate of mine own free will... doesn't look too harmful._

Without question, Minato's hands slipped into his pockets in an attempt to grasp at what felt like the vague form of a pen. Upon pulling it out he clicked the butt of it he began signing his full name, the fresh ink still bleeding into the paper as he handed it back to the boy. If possible Minato was sure the boy's smile widened as he graciously accepted the contract.

"...Very well." It became slightly harder to breathe as the contract disappeared burning into darkness, "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away. And so it begins..." With those last few words, the boy then disappeared slowly melting into the shadows with the blue of his eyes boring into Minato as he faded.

 _Maybe he's shy?_

With that oddity out of the way, Minato scanned the lounge quickly becoming accustomed to the layout with a thump pulled his attention upstairs.

 _Don't tell me their here...!_

He tensed, shoulders pulled back into a defensive stance as his hands blindly reached for anything that can be used as a last-minute weapon.

"...Who's there!" Still, tense the voice barely startled him as she glared into the darkness only barely form a coherent thought as a baleful red, eyed him.

Hauntingly familiar, the limbs moved jarringly out of place, coated in beautiful patterns of crimson that dripped from the gaping hole of their torso.

 ** _Why..._** it whispered, the voice edging towards him, binding him, vision blurred.

 _Not now..._ His breath caught in his throat shapes barely forming in movement as he clung momentarily at his scalp.

 ** _Why did you leave me...?_**

 _I..._

"H-hey say something..." Like a knife, the stranger's voice shattered through the illusion, replacing Minato's image of **_her_** to that of an attractive short-haired brunette around his age, the girl remarkably similar in a way that tipped him off the moment he realised that she was holding what resembled a gun. The silver a glimmer in the moonlight as his eyes lay drawn to the weapon in an attempt to turn away from the image.

"Wait!" As if on sequence the lights came back on, revealing a rather voluptuous woman at the top of the stairs, her hair resembling scarlet rivulets as stepped down to them. From the distinct way, she moved that Minato's mind wandered to the image of a queen, regal as she scaled down the steps to meet her subjects. Although in his case it was that of a traumatised teenager and a girl with a gun who looked far too familiar for his tastes, were at the lower end.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late." She spoke in greeting as she gazed down at him, her voice thick with authority, "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm." The corners of her lips turned upwards in a small smile, although from what Minato could tell, it was completely guarded under the falsity of politeness. The very notion of that set him on edge in that reading people often left him with secrets he'd rather avoid, regardless, his gaze soon drifted over to the brunette, something that felt rather out of place in that Mitsuru was clearly reading him while he examined the other. The brunette currently shuffled around restlessly, her boots scratching against the carpet as she occasionally glanced at him every so often, suspicion and pent up nervousness caught in her expression. From observing their appearances, both girls seemed to have worn different variations of the girl's uniform, one pale pink sweater, the other a pristine white ruffled blouse, (based on what he could tell that is), with an additional red armband that had the letter S.E.E.S stitched in and lined with black.

 _Part of the same club then?_

"...Who's he?" The brunette finally spoke up tersely, still tense from the unexpected encounter as she glanced over to Mitsuru.

"This is Minato Arisato," She motioned to the male, who silently observed the conversation, although his attention began to largely wane as she continued, "he's a transfer student. It was a last-minute decision by the board to assign him here. He will eventually be moved to a room in the normal dorm." Mitsuru answered.

"...Is it okay for him to be here?" The younger girl inquired, significantly calmer now that she had received an explanation.

"I guess we'll see..." The redhead answered cryptically catching Minato's attention, before gesturing to the brunette beside her, "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you." The brunette now known as Yukari stepped forward sending him a small casual wave as she spoke.

"...Hi, I'm Yukari." Minato observed her again, something about the girl felt off to him like she as her partner were clearly hiding something, something that motivated him enough to speak mostly on the pretence of satiating his curiosity about the glimmer of metal on the side of her hip.

"Why do you have a gun?" He inquired, watching as Yukari grew flustered, her voice shifting octaves as she scrambled to gather an answer.

"Huh? Um, well, it's sorta like a hobby..." Realising what she said, Minato watched the girl make a pitiful attempt at rewording her answer, "Well, not a hobby, but..." As Yukari continued to fumble, Mitsuru decided to step up, speaking on behalf of the girl as she gazed coolly at the male.

"You know how it is these days... It's for self-defence. It's not a real gun, of course." She assured him, impeding his view of Yukari and preventing him from inquiring further. It was an action that he mentally applauded while she continued, "Besides, it's getting late. You'll find your room on the third floor and your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night." Mitsuru's attention then fell on to the brunette beside her and it was this that spurred the Yukari into speaking.

"Oh... I'll show you the way." The blandness in her voice was clear, "Follow me." With that, the two silently walked upstairs to the second floor of the dorm or more specifically to the door at the end of the hallway.

"This is it... Pretty easy to remember, huh? ...Since it's right at the end of the hall." Yukari found herself grimacing at the poorly timed joke, instead, she questioned Minato who was currently observing the wall around them, "So any questions?" He turned to her, blinking as he answered a single query quietly escaping him.

"Does that child live here too?" This took Yukari aback.

"Huh? What are you talking about? ...Come on, it's not funny."

 _Was I imagining him then...?_

"Um..." She bit her lip unsure of whether she should continue, "Can I ask you something?" The male nodded.

"On your way from the station was everything okay?" Again Minato nodded, unwilling to disclose anything further.

"I see... Never mind, then. Well, I better get going..." She then turned around to leave but, paused mid-step. "Um... I'm sure you have some more questions, but let's leave them for later, okay? Goodnight." With that she left, disappearing downstairs as Minato entered his assigned room, and true to Mitsuru's words, his luggage was already there waiting to be unpacked. Sighing, the male then went on to unpack everything, by the time he finished, however, the morning rays of sunlight had already filtered through his window, catching him off guard.

 _Bright!_

Shielding away from rays, Minato forced himself to leave the confines of his room snagging a bottle of his medication as he headed downstairs. As expected, the lounge was devoid of the dorm's inhabitants allowing Minato to easily seek out the kitchen, mild hunger gnawing at his stomach. Upon nearing the kitchen, however, he was greeted with the unexpected sight of Mitsuru, the woman quietly sipping on a cup of tea as she shuffled through a series of files, each one neatly stacked across a singular side of the dining table when the sound of his footfalls had caught her attention; Scarlet eyes flickered up from the document in her hands and met grey as she paused mildly surprised at his presence.

"Ah, Arisato…" She blinked, "I wasn't aware anyone else was awake right now save for Akihiko… what brings you here?" Mitsuru inquired briefly before once again bringing her attention back to the files before her.

"I came for a glass of water, maybe even breakfast while I'm at it," Minato answered bluntly, as he headed over to the sink, sneakers scratching against tile.

"I see…" She took another sip of her tea before placing the cup back down, "Then help yourself to anything that isn't labelled in the fridge or anything in the fruit bowl," Mitsuru explained, gesturing to the aforementioned.

"…Thanks, Senpai," However, as he proceeded to pour himself a glass, Mitsuru spoke up once again.

"Oh, and Arisato?"

"Yes, Senpai?" He responded tilting up the jug and stopping the flow of water as he turned to meet her gaze, one that was high pressed on examining him. It was during this brief moment that she opened her mouth to say something only to purse her lips before going back to flicking through the file, this elicited a sense of intrigue in the male over what she'd planned to say only for Mitsuru to speak up once again.

"…It's nothing," The crimson-haired girl responded sparingly, "I apologise for distracting you." Deciding not to press her for a response, Minato promptly unscrewed the unmarked bottle open before shaking out a rounded tablet, one that was barely the size of his fingernail as he quickly popped it in his mouth. Grimacing at the immediate bitter-powdery taste, he washed it down with the glass before lazily heading over the fridge. On opening it, however, he was greeted with a rather unusual sight.

 _How does anyone need that much protein? You can barely see anything Mitsuru and Yukari have labelled, thankfully, it's rather full but, I should probably have something else…_

Closing the fridge door he headed over to the fruit bowl where he proceeded to snag an apple, before sitting across Mitsuru letting attention fly elsewhere as he mindlessly nibbled on fruit face contorting at the mildly tangy taste. For the next few minutes the dorm remained relatively silent save for the occasional crunch of an apple and papers being shuffled about, but, to Minato, it was nice as silence was a rare commodity for him. Unfortunately, as with all good things the silence was pierced by the abrupt pull of the chair dragging across the polished tiles as Mitsuru finally moved, the folders all neatly stacked under her arm as she looked over at him a glimmer of concern wavering behind her sharp gaze.

"Takeba will be showing you around the school later. Normally, I would request you to come with me, however, due to my duties I lack the time, so I apologise in advance," She spoke, as Minato twitched his gaze momentarily lowering to the blue of his flip phone.

 _Right, I still need to call her…_

"I hope you adjust well, Arisato." The male said nothing as she washed the delicate china cup and the saucer it was cradled in before walking out leaving him alone. Leaning into his chair a bit more he took the last bite of the apple he before sliding the core into the trash where began to listen to music as he waited. After an hour of messing around with his playlist, Joy blasted against his ears as a familiar brunette came walking downstairs noting his appearance.

"Oh! Minato, I didn't see you there. I thought that you were still asleep." Yukari chirped, "Anyway... are you ready to head to school?" The brunette inquired as she grabbed a box of strawberry flavoured pocky from the fridge.

"Yeah..." He answered.

"Great, let's go then."

 _It's like she's an entirely different person during the day._

It wasn't long before they onto the first train monorail upon reaching the station, which to Minato's mild amusement, Yukari had completely finished the box that she had previously picked up throwing the packet away as she slipped through the crowd.

"We have to take the monorail to get there. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?" Yukari explained, moving up next to him in order to avoid being wedged against a stranger as the cart reached it's capacity. nearly slamming Minato against the brunette had he not gripped the handrail in time.

 _I swear to God if it's like this everyday-_

The brief flash of annoyance ended as Yukari spoke gazing out the window.

"This is my favourite part…" Her voice dropped to a whisper that Minato barely heard her over the bustling crowd of students and businessmen and woman, "When it feels like you're gliding over the sea." As Yukari finished her monologue, Minato spoke up gaze briefly flickering along uniformed students around them.

"Hey, Yukari, mind if I interrupt?" A little surprised by the interruption the girl turned to face him queryingly.

"Oh yeah, what is it?"

"Why aren't you dressed in the full girl's uniform?" He bluntly asked, gesturing to the pink cardigan that she currently had nestled herself in.

"...Well, as long as we comply to the uniform standers we can add accessories to it you know, like a cardigan or a vest. Why?"

"It's nothing." He responded, waving her question off.

 _This is starting to feel like a teen romantic love comedy, minus the love._

"Anyway, our stop is Port Island Station. From there, we walk. Have you ever heard of Tatsumi Port Island? It's a man-made island and they built our school right in the middle. Oh, look, you can see it now!" True to her explanation upon glancing out the window, the male spotted the pristine white building easily towering alongside the city buildings as the train slowed to a stop. Eventually, the two got off and then reached the school gates after walking from the station where a girl greeting Yukari as soon as she stepped through open sakura dabbled gates.

"Well, here we are... Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're going to love it here."

 _I'm probably going to hate it then..._

The pessimistic attitude waved its way into his head as the two headed inside. Here Minato was greeted by a mass of students crowding around the main hallway as they hung near the bulletin board.

"You're okay from here, right?" Minato nodded reassuring the girl, "Then you should go see your homeroom teacher first. The faculty office is located in the left hallway..." She smiled, "And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?" Minato shook his head bangs momentarily falling across his vision.

"Alright then," The smile fell from her face as a tense one took its place as an expression, "Umm... about last night... Don't tell anyone about what you saw, okay?" She paused, "...See ya later." He watched her leave before heading to the faculty office, nearly bumping into a teacher that he was pretty sure looked like an adult version of Yukari.

"Oh! I didn't see you there," The woman exclaimed, searching his face for a while before being hit with what looked like realisation, "So you must be the new transfer student then?" Minato nodded.

 _I've been nodding my head a lot lately..._

"Perfect! Come with me, I have your file." Following the woman inside the office, he stopped as she grabbed, what looked like his file from her desk.

"Minato Arisato... 11th grade, correct?" He nodded again, watching as she continued to flick through his file. "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places..."

 _Perks of being apart of the Shirogane family I suppose..._

"Let's see... In 1999... That was what, 10 years ago? Your parents-" She then let out a gasp and yet Minato could bring himself to react to the rest of her words, "I'm sorry, I've been so busy that I haven't had time to read this beforehand. I am Ms Toriumi and I teach Composition. Welcome to our school." Ms Toriumi smiled as she introduced herself.

"Oh... Thanks..."

"Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me." Minato trailed behind as the woman moved from the office, slowly leading him through the school halls where he finally arrived at their destination, nestling himself into a seat. Eventually, he soon found himself bored, the principle droning on about vices and goal while he sat trapped against the gaggle of students. Halfway through the old man's speech, however, Minato felt someone tap his shoulder, turning around, he was met with the face of a nondescript male student.

"You came to school with Yukari this morning, right? I saw you two walking together. Hey, I have a question. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?" The student sheepishly asked, scratching his tongue.

"I don't know." Minato bluntly stated, his eye was beginning to twitch.

"I see. I thought you might know, but... I guess not." It was now that the student leaned forward the nervousness gone from his tone as an expression of curiosity overtook it, "So, how well do you know her?" However, before Minato could silence the boy one of the teachers spoke up glaring at the crowd.

"I hear talking. I believe it's someone in Ms Toriumi's class..."

 _No shit sherlock._

"Shhh! Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" Ms Toriumi hissed, only for the volume to increase.

 _I'm pretty sure more then half the school is talking through._

After the long speech, Minato headed to homeroom, settling into a desk at the side so he could run unnoticed by the general student population and rest as overwhelming tiredness pinched at the edges of his vision. However, before his head could hit the indents of the desk a male student sauntered towards him, giving the biggest grin possible as he tipped his deep blue baseball-cap towards Minato.

"S'up, dude? How's it goin'?" He greeted, face far to close for Minato's comfort.

 _Personal space..._

"Can I help you?" Minato inquired, shifting as far as possible as the stranger continued to intrude on his personal space bubble.

"Nah man, I just came here to introduce myself." It was like his grin had gotten wider as he pointed a thumb to himself, "Anyway, I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in eighth grade, so I know how tough it is bein' the new kid... So I wanted to say, "hey." ...See what a nice guy I am!" As the baseball-cap wearing student now known as Junpei continued to chat Minato's ear off, the male's head lolled against his fist as he spotted Yukari from his peripheral vision, the girl in question observing the two as she walked over. Spotting her, Junpei moved from his side firing off a greeting at the girl as he waved.

"Hey, it's Yuka-tan! I didn't think we'd be in the same class again." Yukari's face scrunched up in annoyance, before releasing a breathless sigh.

"At it again, huh? I swear you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?" She grumbled, staring him down.

"What? But, I was just bein' friendly." Junpei protested as he gasped, clutching his chest dramatically and faking a look of hurt.

"If you say so." She sighed again looking over to Minato who at this point, buried his head into the sleeves of his blazer, had she not caught a glimpse of his eyes observing them through his curtain of cobalt hair, Yukari would have assumed that he was asleep as she spoke.

"Anyway, looks like we're in the same homeroom..." Deciding to speak, Minato languidly lifted his head from his arms gazing up at her.

"It's just a coincidence though." He drawled, tilting his head.

"Yeah I know, I'm just a little surprised..." Yukari mumbled, rubbing her arm.

"Um, hello?" Junpei moved in between them waving his hands wildly to catch their attention, "Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too? By the way, I heard you two came to school together this morning. What's up with that?" He grinned, "C'mon, gimme the dirt!" A light blush fell over Yukari's cheeks as she glared at Junpei over his words, stuttering as she forced an explanation past her lips.

"Wh-what are you talking about!? We live in the same dorm. There's nothing going on, okay? Why are people even talking about it!? Now you have me worried..." She leaned towards Minato, voice barely above a whisper, "Hey... You didn't say anything to anyone about… you know what did you?"

 _And this is how people get the wrong idea... at least no one else heard you._

He shook his head.

"Okay, good... Seriously..." Her eyes narrowed, "Don't say anything about last night, alright." This time, however, Yukari had failed to account for the volume of her voice as indicated by Junpei's unique reaction of jumping back in mild shock as he hastily looked between the two.

"..."

 _Never mind…_

Noticing Minato glancing sideways Yukari followed it, eyes settling on Junpei's frozen form.

"Wh-what?" She snapped at him, glaring.

"L-Last night...?" Junpei mumbled breathlessly through a stutter, scarlet. Realising the implication of what was said, Yukari matched Junpei in colour, face a bright shade of cherry red as a look of abject horror was pasted on in an attempt to force a rebuttal to what was unsaid.

"W-Wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea! Listen! I just met him yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing between us!" An exhale as she finally calmed down, "Geez... I've gotta go. I've got something to take care of for the archery team. But, you better not start any rumours!" With that, Yukari stormed off.

"Ah, who cares? No one takes rumours seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid..." He mumbled to himself, "But, hey! It's your first day here, and people are already talkin' about you! Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular. You da man!" Junpei leaned back, chuckling to himself, although to Minato it sounded like a giggle.

"Hehe, this is gonna be a fun year. I can feel it!" He fist-pumped the air before heading back to his desk just as class started. For the next couple of hours in school, Minato constantly zoned out during his classes having already having covered them previously. As the day ended though, Minato decided to head straight back to the dorm exhaustion clinging to his form.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru greeted from the lounge although her expression changed when noticed how worn he looked.

"Arisato, have you been getting enough sleep?"

"...Not really,"

"Then I suggest you get some rest, we have school tomorrow." He nodded numbly in response as he headed upstairs. Upon reaching his room, however, he nearly collapsed onto his bed exhaustion seeping into his head as his eyelids fluttered closed. Unfortunately, before he could lose himself to sleep a familiar ring tone echoed throughout the ambience of the room forcing him awake and fumble for his phone.

"Arisato,"

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" The voice questioned, causing Minato to blink the sleep from his eyes.

"Naoto?"

* * *

The dorm was relatively silent for Mitsuru as she continued reading, barely keeping track of the text as she felt her focus wander elsewhere. Minato Arisato was an interesting case from what she could gather from his medical records alone, that factor alone, however, gave her no indication of his potential at wielding a Persona let alone whether he was mentally stable enough to handle one. Mitsuru frowned to herself barely paying attention to the words on the page, he had seemed stable enough and yet, outside of the brief interaction this morning, she had no grasp on his actual background specifics other than his medical records and the fact that he moved around a lot… Even then, despite her influence and power, she held thanks to the Group those files had been the only ones located under his name no prior history of anything.

 _It's almost like he hadn't existed until now…_

However, she was pulled out of her thoughts when a confident-looking male student strutted downstairs heading towards the door.

"I'm going out for a bit." The male stated as he walked past the redhead.

"...Hm?" Mitsuru hummed in response, not looking up from her book.

"Didn't you see the newspaper? There's a lot going on." It was then that she glanced up from her book, watching the male.

"...I know. People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome…" Her eyes narrowed as she continued, "I've seen it in the news quite often lately. They say its due to stress, but..." She trailed off.

"Yeah, right. It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it's not worth my time..." The male smirked and if possible Mitsuru thought he looked like a child who had just opened their Christmas present.

"You have a one-track mind…" She mumbled to herself, "Will you be okay on your own? The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can..." However, before she could continue the male spoke.

"Don't worry. I'm just getting a little practice." He sent her a smile of reassurance, before walking out the door, causing the redhead to let out a sigh.

"This isn't a game, Akihiko…"

* * *

The next morning went by a blur for Minato with the male taking a quick shower, before leaving for school. Upon arriving, he found himself bored listening to the two girls in front of him talking about the rumours, before eventually zoning out through most of his classes. The only thing remotely eventful in his day had been when Junpei asked for his help upon Ms Toriumi asking the baseball-capped male a question. A question which he got right only because he hadn't zoned out. By the time he headed back to the dorm, he was greeted by an unfamiliar glasses-wearing man and Yukari standing up, upon walking in.

"Good evening, my name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. "Ikutsuki"... Hard to say, isn't it?"

 _I can think of a few harder to pronounce names…_

"That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes..." He chuckled, then gestured to the chair, "Please have a seat." As the three sat down Ikutsuki continued to speak.

"I apologise about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive a proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"Why are you here?" He inquired.

"To welcome you, of course. Well, to be honest, I do have other business here." The man then turned to Yukari "Speaking of which... where's Mitsuru, Yukari?"

"She's upstairs." She bluntly answered.

"As diligent as always… Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello." He turned to Minato once again"Is there anything else?"

"Who else lives here?"

"There are only four students in this dorm: you, Yukari here, Mitsuru, and a senior named Akihiko Sanada. I hope you all get along. Any other questions?" Minato pondered it for a bit before shaking his head, he had wanted to inquire about the weird hour between midnight and one but decided against it. Besides for Minato, other than Yukari and Mitsuru there was no guarantee that the man would be aware of that hour.

"Then if there is nothing else, I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Ikutsuki got up, "You must be tired from all the excitement and go to bed early. As they say, the early bird catches the bookworm!" The man grimaced at the chilly reception.

"...Please forgive the bad pun." The man chuckled before leaving, causing Yukari to sigh in exasperation.

"...You'll get used to his lame jokes."

 _I'm probably going to end up making them myself anyway..._

* * *

Sometime during Mitsuru's observation, the Dark Hour had struck, bathing the room in darkness for a brief moment before the monitors flickered back on revealing a familiar head of cobalt hair as he sat by the window reading a novel. Beside her, Ikutsuki leaned forward and from what she could tell despite the glare of his glasses that he was watching the teenager intently, Yukari, on the other hand, shifted nervously a habit that only ever was present during the Dark Hour.

"To think, not only has he retained his human form unlike those unaware in their coffins, he also has no reaction to the transaction of the Dark Hour whatsoever, truly fascinating," Ikutsuki exclaimed, eyes glued to the screen.

"You know, I kinda feel bad for spying on him like this..." Yukari mumbled, facing the screen.

"Don't be, we are only watching him to see if he has the potential or not," Mitsuru answered, watching as Minato flipped a page in his book, before glancing out the window in his room staring directly at the moon.

"He has to have the potential, for had he not had it the shadows would have preyed on him by now," Ikutsuki explained.

"Scary..." Yukari mumbled as the three continued to monitor the male. As they neared the end of the Dark Hour, for a split second Mitsuru who had been watching intently during the other's momentary distraction involving a water bottle, could've sworn that for a moment the male looked straight at the camera as if aware of what they were doing, but just like that turned away immediately, far more interested in his book before eventually nodding off to sleep, exhaustion having finally taken its hold.

* * *

Waking up was no pleasant experience for Minato, his neck felt stiff, his back was sore from remaining upright as he slept and his head felt like someone repeatedly hammered a nail into his skull.

Yep, it was the perfect way to start his morning.

Groaning, the male stumbled out of his chair as he attempted to recall the specifics of his dream, only to aggravate his headache further as he headed off to school. As he proceeded to board the train, however, he managed to catch his reflection in the glass and nearly froze.

His eyes were gold; not grey, not blue, but gold.

He blinked, and they disappeared returning to a simple grey-blue as the doors closed behind him. It seemed that the existence of the Velvet Room and Igor had left him more of an impact on him then he had first assumed. Now in front of the school gate, Minato was greeted by Junpei catching up to him from behind.

"Hey man, what's up!?" The male greeted cheerfully.

"Today is the perfect day! The sky is blue... We're young... What more could we ask for!?"

"Well, you're full of energy." Minato deadpanned, watching the other male bounce around.

"Of course! Seriously though, dude, listen to this…" He leaned over once again forcing Minato to step back, "Oh, wait! I'm not supposed to say anything! Sorry, man." He chuckled as the two headed inside. The day felt more sluggish than usual, were at this point Minato could've have sworn Junpei decided to wear Igor's head for shits and giggles.

He nearly jumped out of his seat when Junpei had asked for help in 4th period…

Deciding to return to the dorm, Minato had found it slightly unexpected as he had yet to pass by any of the other dorm inhabitants, something which he thought nothing of as he headed upstairs to his room collapsing onto the bed as he let himself drown in the room's ambience.

* * *

Even when they had entered the Dark Hour Minato held no prevalent reaction, he simply lay there unmoving. Which quite frankly, unnerved Mitsuru more then any Shadow could, at one point she had assumed the male was asleep only for the occasional flicker of his eyelids indicating that he was very much aware of his surroundings.

"...How is he?" Ikutsuki questioned.

"...Same as last night." Mitsuru answered, watching him wearily, as the male continued to lay still.

"Hmm... very interesting, to remain completely unaffected by the Dark Hour. The subject seems to be quite the enigma, among others. Had it been anyone else they would have had suffered from some memory loss."

"It feels wrong... We're treating him like a guinea pig." Yukari mumbled.

"I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members. I heard he's your classmate... Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade?" Ikutsuki questioned.

"Yeah... but-" However before Yukari could get a word in, the sound of a transmission rang through.

"Command room. ...Is that you, Akihiko?" Mitsuru questioned, pressing a button which brought forward a screen. On the screen appeared a white-haired male, he was currently running from something.

 _"You're not gonna believe this...! This thing is huge!"_ The male on the other end exclaimed, _"Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk... It's chasing me... I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there."_ With that, the transmission cut off setting Mitsuru on edge over the unexpected guest.

"Does that mean... he's bringing that thing here!?" Yukari freaked.

"Mr Chairman! Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!" Mitsuru ordered, before grabbing her gear, as did Yukari a bit with difficulty.

"...R-Right! Be careful!" Ikutsuki hastily answered, watching the two fly out the door. Meanwhile, downstairs Akihiko slammed the front door of the dorm closed before leaning against it, just as Mitsuru and Yukari ran downstairs.

"Akihiko!" The redhead yelled, moving quickly to his side to help him up, causing the male to let out a grunt of pain.

"Senpai!?" Yukari questioned, just as worried.

"I'm alright. Get ready to be surprised... It'll be here any second." The male coughed out.

"This is no time to joke around!" Mitsuru snapped, just as the ground shook, the sounds of growling easily echoing through the building.

"Ahh! What the...!? ...You've gotta be kidding me!" Yukari cried as Mitsuru pulled out a gun.

"Takeba, go upstairs and wake him up! Then, escape out the back!" Mitsuru ordered, causing her junior to look at her in surprise.

"But, what about you two?"

"We'll stop it here. You led it to us, Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight." Mitsuru responded, brandishing her rapier towards the door, as the wood groaned under the weight of what was waiting outside.

"Like I had a choice! What are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!"

"I-I'm going!" Reluctantly, Yukari left heading to words Minato's room, however, as she slammed his bedroom door open, she was met with an empty room, hurtling her into a state of horror. Quickly she then went back downstairs only to, hear Mitsuru's voice through another transmission.

 _"Takeba, do you read me!?"_ Panicking Yukari barely responded in time.

"Y-Yes! I hear you!"

 _"Be careful! There's more than one shadow, the one Akihiko and I just killed isn't the one he saw!"_ Yukari went pale, glancing nervously around for any sign of the cobalt haired male.

"Umm... Senpai, we have a slight problem."

 _"What!?"_ Mitsuru snapped, causing the girl to cringe at her tone.

"I-I can't find Minato..." For a moment, the other line went silent, causing Yukari to panic even further.

 _"Takeba, I want you to get back to us immediately and help Akihiko, I will go find him myself."_ She ordered before ending the transmission and upon doing so, the building shook once again the foreign cries of the creature once again reverberated throughout the building. After the tremors stopped Yukari instantly headed towards the lounge where she quickly met up with Mitsuru and Akihiko, the former in which left the moment she arrived, cursing under her breath in what vaguely sounded like French.

Mitsuru hastily climbed up the stairs to reach the rooftop of the building, having found no sign of Minato anywhere. She burst through the steel door and was met with a nightmarish sight.

It twisted and convulsed, limbs failing anywhere they could reach, a glimmer of steel catching the moonlight every so often as it attempted to strike Minato down all of which lay connect to a broken bubbling mask.

"A little help here, Senpai!" He yelled, rolling under the blow that would have sliced his head clean of his neck. Snapping out of her trance, she ran up to it clutched the gun to her forehead as she set her rapier in front of her in a defensive stance.

"Penthesilea!" She yelled as she pulled the trigger her head jerking to the side as a large feminine looking knight appeared unleashing a torrent of ice shards towards the creature cutting jagged lines across its flesh. Screeching in pain the monster recoiled, turning its attention away from the male bones and skin shifting at unnatural angles as it now focused on Mitsuru. With a horrid screech, it leapt towards the female but before it could reach her a wall of frost pierced through its limbs shattering them mid-jump. Minato on the other head could only stare at Mitsuru in slight shock, as she valiantly fought it off moving in sync with her rapier in practised movement as she blocked whatever sword came her way that the ice hadn't been able to reach. But, it was then that he noticed how quickly she was losing ground as it remained undeterred by the sharp drop in temperature continued to wail on her mercilessly before much to both of their shock unleashed a column of flame forcing the gun from her hands with a yelp. Minato watched as the weapon slid towards his direction and slowly reached out picking it up as his mind went blank.

He stood there, the gun felt light in his hands, the metal easily cooling down the temperature of his sweat-slicked skin.

"Go on…" Whispered a familiar voice, forcing Minato to look up his eyes widening in recognition as the boy stood across from him, smiling, "She'll die if you don't."

 **And you will die as well if you continue to stand there…** Another voice spoke, it was much lower, more… ancient.

 _I…_ He hesitated, nothing made sense anymore.

 **Was her sacrifice in vain then?** The voice spoke again, taunting.

 _..._

" **Will you let history repeat itself?** " The boy's voice and it's had merged.

He cried out, collapsing onto his knees as he clutched at his head attracting the attention of the monster as it scrambled towards him.

His heart thundered in his ears.

His forehead felt like it was on fire.

And something wanted out.

"Per…" He placed the gun to his head.

"so…" His hand clenched tightly around the handle.

"na!" He pulled the trigger, body jerking, as flame sprouted fourth encasing the creature in a plume of heat leaving nothing but ash in its wake, as a new being emerged.

 **I am Thou, Thou art I… From the sea of thy soul I cometh for thou is chained to Death itself… I am Orpheus, Master of Strings.**

Minato staggered to his feet, the pain slowly ebbing away as last of the ashes of the creature faded away, the short sword barely a hairsbreadth away from his neck as it burned with it leaving nothing but scorch marks and black blood in its wake. Satiated, the Greek incarnate let out a cry of victory as it towered over the damage, its crimson gaze unwavering as Mitsuru looked onto the sight in shock. Yet, before either party could react Minato let out a cry of agony rivalling his previous screams as he tore at his scalp causing Mitsuru to flinch, his persona imitating the gesture before the sickening sound of flesh tearing and metal snapping reverberated throughout the rooftop snapping Mitsuru's attention from Minato to it.

Ivory talon-like gloves emerged, clawing at its prison as it let out a high pitched cry; wherefrom what Mitsuru could see of a brief glimpse, a sight that she would never forget.

For she wouldn't have been wrong for mistaking it as Death itself.

And just like that, the sight disappeared, replaced by the shattering fragments of a persona retreating and leaving Minato barely standing as he trembled before pitching backwards, his world going dark as a pair of unfamiliar arms wrapped around his torso intent on keeping him up just as the rooftop doors slammed open, their footsteps echoing into the night air...

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Also, note, it seems I have accidentally deleted my previous author's note in a frenzy and have to substitute with repeating this instead;**

 **\- Just to confirm that this is a Mitsuru/Minato fanfiction**

 **\- Constructive criticism is welcome, it helps me immensely as an amateur writer**

 **\- And don't forget to enjoy!**


	2. II - Priestess

II - The Priestess

"I think that we're all mentally ill. Those of us outside of the asylums only hide it a little better" - Stephen King

* * *

Blue, that's where Minato was when he came to.

A tiny blue elevator; it seemed the Igor wasn't done with him yet, large toothy grin, bulging bloodshot eyes, balding head, wiry form and an incomprehensibly long nose.

"It's so nice to see you again." He greeted, tapping his fingers against the blue table cloth forcing Minato's attention to them, "It seems that you have finally awakened to your power…" Igor paused, sifting his hands under his chin as his grin grew wider.

"It's rather unexpected… to think that it was Orpheus that heeded your call,"

"What is Orpheus?" He questioned shifting under the occupants' gazes.

"Tell me… do you believe in fortune telling?" Minato tilted his head quizzically, causing the man to chuckle at his reaction.

"I see…" Igor snapped his fingers as an array of cards fell before Minato, each one overturned, their faces plastered down onto the velvet table cloth. Silently, Minato reached out grasping one of the cards as he flipped it over, the familiar image of a skull staring back at him, as he placed it back down repeating the process until Igor motioned him to stop, revealing five cards.

The Tower.

The Moon.

The Devil.

The Fool.

And… Death.

He wanted to throw up.

"…Interesting," Igor hummed, "your fate is truly interesting… I look forward to seeing what you choose when the time comes." With another snap of his fingers, the cards disappeared as Igor proceeded to explain Orpheus existence, the fact that he wasn't even normal amongst persona users and yet, during it, Minato couldn't shake the image of the skull.

* * *

By the time he came to, Minato froze, bright fluorescent lights blinking back at him as he nearly shot out of the hospital bed.

 _What was I-?_

Hit with the whiplash and nausea of suddenly sitting up, the male to fell back into his pillow, biting back a groan as a mild headache picked up leaving him to dully scan the room only for his vision to fall on a familiar head of hair. Yukari slept peacefully, head buried in the sleeves of her pink cardigan, for a brief moment her form was replaced by that of his sister causing him to freeze up

It scared him how similar she and Yukari were despite them never having met.

He shook his head.

 _Now is not the time to think about it…_

He looked around, attempting to discern his actual location other than knowing that it was a hospital when Yukari groaned forcing the male's attention to her. She then shifted in her arms as she slowly came to, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she let out a slight yawn, briefly looking over to Minato before doing a double-take upon seeing that he was awake.

"You're awake…!" She exclaimed, relief tinging her tone, "So… um, how do you feel?"

"Like I got shot in the head…?" She only stared at him indecorously.

 _Okay, even I admit that was pretty bad_

"So I'll take it that you're fine then," Yukari questioned as Minato nodded, only to notice that that the ribbon on her uniform was slightly askew.

"Yukari?"

"Y-yes?" She spoke up slightly taken aback as he shifted from his half-seated position.

"Come here." Too flabbergasted to respond verbally she nodded, before reluctantly heading over to him only to be surprised when he reached up and fixed her ribbon.

"Your ribbon wasn't done up properly. It was bothering me." He deadpanned.

"S-sorry I was in a rush to get out this morning…" She trailed off her cheeks a flush with red, as Minato simply raised an eyebrow at her behaviour, deciding not to press her any further.

"Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering where we are and as of right now, we are currently in Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's just a short walk from the station." Yukari explained.

"Still through you had all of us worried, collapsing like that… I mean it's been an entire week-"

"How much homework do I have?" He cut her off.

"I'm sorry?" She blinked.

"How much homework do I have?" He repeated.

"I heard you the first time…" She mumbled to herself, "Quite a bit I suppose, why do you need to know exactly if you don't mind me asking?"

"So I can sign a death sentence?"

"I honestly can't tell when you're actually serious."

Minato simply shrugged to himself.

"All right, the doctor said couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted… still though just what kind of power was that?" He tilted his head.

"What about Orpheus?"

"Well, there's no way that power could have simply belonged to one person! I mean, you did nearly set Mitsuru senpai on fire in the process…" Minato grimaced.

"How bad was it?"

"Well, apart from the large scorch marks and Mitsuru senpai's burnt uniform… it was quite a bit I guess." She giggled nervously, "You're still fine right?"

 _I'm dead._

He needed to apologise to his senpai later.

"Um… Minato, are you okay? You've been silent for a while…"

"I'm fine, it's just that why are you telling me this? And no, I mean why are you so worried about me?"

"Well… maybe its because I'm sort of like you…" Yukari mumbled looking down at her feet, as the male raised an eyebrow.

 _So fucked up in the head and traumatised to the point that you need medication to stop yourself from hallucinating you're dead sister's walking around?_

"You see... my dad died in an accident when I was little... And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms…" She looked up at him, "You're all alone too, right? To be honest, I already know about your past... But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine…" She took a deep breath.

"It was back in '99... There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened... He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High." Yukari explained.

"And here I am telling you all this the minute you wake up. While I was waiting, I thought to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from him... As soon as he wakes up, I'll tell him the truth.' So, thanks for listening. "I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time."She smiled, "...Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up. Take it easy, okay? Be a good patient! And don't hesitate to call the nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you." Yukari dusted her skirt as she got up ready to leave.

"Bye," The door slid shut leaving him alone in the room.

* * *

"Ah, there you are." The Chairman was the first person to greet Minato when he walked into the command room, "I'm glad that you're okay. The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you. Please, have a seat." Nodding Minato reluctantly sat down on the plush couch.

"Oh, but before we proceed I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." Ikusuki gestured to the silver-haired male sitting across from Minato, he appeared to be wearing another variation of the male school uniform with the inclusion of gloves and a bright red vest which completely ignored the blazer in favour for movement.

"How ya doin'? The male greeted sending him a grin.

 _Huh, why do I feel like he's the type of guy that has a legion of fangirls after him…_

"Okay now that introductions are finished, let me start off by asking you this... Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?" Ikusuki questioned.

"Yes," Came his blunt response.

"Oh?" Mitsuru looked at him questioningly.

"It's not the first time I've had to fight those things," Minato stated.

"I see, how long have you been fighting the shadows for, exactly?" Ikusuki inquired.

"Ten years." Out of the corner of his eye, he could've sworn Mitsuru twitched at his words, but otherwise remained composed. His eyes flickered briefly across the room to check whether the reaction was caught by another.

 _It seems no one else noticed..._

"Huh, interesting..." Ikusuki mumbled to himself, "Then you are indeed aware of the creatures that roam during the Dark Hour then?" Minato nodded again.

"You see the creatures that appear during the Dark Hour, well we call them 'Shadows.' They only appear during the Dark Hour and attack anyone, not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them... Sounds exciting, huh?" Akihiko smirked.

"Akihiko! Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!" Mitsuru snapped causing the boxer to wince.

"Now, now. He does his work well." Ikusuki then turned back to face Minato, "Long story short, we're the Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad-SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor." Ikusuki explained.

"A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them." Mitsuru spoke up.

"Let me guess, the police can't do anything which is why they need a group of teenagers to do their dirty work and now you want me to join." Minato deduced watching their reactions with slight amusement.

"In short, yes..." Mitsuru then brought out a silver briefcase, placing it before him, "Will you be willing to lend us your strength?" Popping the case open revealed a silver engraved pistol nestled in red silk next to it lay a simple crimson armband.

Silently, Minato stared down at the open briefcase in Mitsuru's hands, the evoker practically calling to him as he went to reach for it, only to pause as his head began to thrum. Orpheus buzzed, almost desperate to leave forcing the male to recoil his hand in order to calm his persona down much to the confusion and shock of the occupants of the room, thankfully, it did the trick as Orpheus finally calmed down leaving only a faint hum to persist.

"…Sorry, I will join but is it all right if I grab it later?" Mitsuru blinked, before nodding a small smile on her lips.

"Of course," She shut the briefcase much to his relief as his persona quieted down, next to him Yukari let out a sigh of relief.

"You had me worried there, for a minute I thought you weren't going to join…" She perked up, "So, welcome aboard!"

"Thank you so much. I'm really glad." The chairman beamed, "Oh, I almost forgot... About your room assignment... Why don't you just stay here, in your current room? I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end." Ikusuki chuckled, as Yukari sweatdropped.

"Holdup? But, wasn't that-" She huffed, "Oh, never mind... It doesn't matter anymore..."

One by one the members of S.E.E.S left the room leaving him alone with Mitsuru, silver briefcase in hand.

"Arisato, may I talk to you in private?" Mitsuru requested more like ordered as Minato reached out for the case, pausing in order to respond.

"Sure." He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he straightened up his posture to look at her.

He was mildly annoyed at the height her heels gave her.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life." Minato shook his head.

"Don't worry about apologising, Senpai... You did save me from that shadow..." He trailed off upon hearing her chuckle.

It sounded pleasant.

 _She should laugh more often…_

"I suppose I did…"

"Is that all you wished to talk to me about?" Minato inquired.

"Actually, no…" He tilted his head as her expression become neutral.

"…It's about this," She shifted through her skirt pocket only to hold up a pill bottle, a familiar label plastered on the side.

Minato stiffened.

"…How?"

"It fell out of your pocket when you collapsed." She answered, her lips pressed firmly in a straight line, "Why didn't you tell anyone about this?"

"It not like I want to wave the fact that I take antipsychotics around," His eyes narrowed, "besides this is an invasion of privacy, almost as bad as the fact that you placed a camera in my room without consent," Minato commented sharply as Mitsuru tensed.

"Arisato, I…"

"Save it," He walked up to her holding out his hands for both items which after slight reluctance she handed them over, after receiving the items he took a step back.

He felt lightheaded.

"I would love to continue this conversation but I have a pile of homework to catch up on," Minato turned away from her barely surpassing the urge to throw up, "Goodnight, Senpai."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Mitsuru alone in the room her expression pulled into a frown.

He didn't regret it.

Then again it was rare that he would regret anything.

Stumbling down the stairs he slipped into his room, collapsing onto the floor as he slammed the briefcase down, it's contents spilling on the carpet. Seated against the door, Minato let out a breath as he fumbled with the bottle prying it open. A pill fell into his outstretched palm as he popped it in his mouth, swallowing it dry no matter how much his throat itched. Minato gaze flickered to his desk, a pile of papers lay there waiting for him.

His problems could wait.

For the next hour or so his pen flew across the paper as he worked on paper after paper the pile steadily decreasing, by the time he had finished, however, the Dark Hour had struck bathing his room in a sickeningly green glow as the lights in his room went out.

"Hi, how are you?" Spinning around in his chair he found the same boy in prison clothes smiling eerily at him as they remained on his bed, causing Minato to tense.

"How did you get in?" Minato asked warily a hand hovering over his evoker, the boy, however, giggled at his response.

"I'm always with you." The boy cryptically answered.

"Right... now get out." Minato demanded jabbing a thumb at the door, to which, once again the boy chuckled, before smiling once again.

"Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you." Minato only raised an eyebrow at the boy's words.

"The end?"

"The end of everything. ...But to be honest, I don't really know what it is." The boy answered earnestly looking down at his own swinging feet, it was then that Minato felt a sharp pain echo throughout his head, causing the male to cringe.

"Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power…" The boy commented watching him clutch at his head, "and an unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms yet is bound by none... It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." The boy continued, before disappearing and reappearing in front of him, causing the male to back into his desk at the close proximity.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Numbly he nodded, "I expect you to honour your commitment then. I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me..." Minato inhaled sharply, as the boy stepped back.

"Okay then, see you later…"The boy trailed off as he disappeared, melting into the shadows as the pounding in his head increased.

 _What the hell did that kid do to me…!_

* * *

The next day passed for Minato without much incident, despite the persistence of his headache so by the time he headed off to his room after he came back from school, Yukari's voice rang out from downstairs.

"Hey! Minato can you come down here! Akihiko senpai wants us!" Biting back a groan, Minato staggered down the stairs finding himself in the lobby, silently revelling over the slight abate in his headache.

"...Okay, he's here now. So, what's this all about?" Yukari questioned.

"There's someone I want to introduce." He then turned to the door, " Hey, hurry up." From outside, Minato could hear the sounds of someone struggling.

"Hold your horses... This is freakin' heavy!" Upon entering through the doorway, revealed, a familiar baseball-cap wearing male as he hauled in the last of his luggage, evidently, the amount of which Minato noted was rather small for someone who was more than likely to live here for at least the next two years.

Then again his pile of luggage wasn't much to look at either.

"J-Junpei!? ...Why is HE here!?" Yukari yelled much to Minato annoyance, "Wait, don't tell me-"

"This is Junpei Iori, from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today." Akihiko explained as Junpei chuckled.

"Wazzup?" Yukari, still reeling from shock barely formulated a protest, her tone indignant.

"He's staying HERE!? You've gotta be kidding me!"

 _Too loud…_

"I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently... I told him about us, and he agreed to help." Akihiko explained.

"You have the potential!? For real!?"

 _Again, too loud…_

"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much, but... man, that's embarrassing! He said that's, ya know, completely normal... in the beginning. Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?" Minato nodded, while Yukari blatantly ignored him mumbling something about Junpei and being fed to Shadows under her breath.

Well, not really, but, you get the idea.

"Oh... that's good. You should since you're a Persona-user." He went quiet before once again grinning, "...But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know. I bet you're stoked too, right!? Havin' me join..." Minato just nodded already bored of the affair and intent heading back to his room.

"Huh? Uh, y-yeah…" Yukari absently responded.

"Well, enough with the introductions." All eyes turned to the silver-haired boxer when the senior spoke, "I think we're about ready..."

"Ooh, we're gonna go do something? Sweetness!" Junpei fist pumped the air, causing Minato to tilt his in response.

 _Doesn't he mean sweet?_

"With this many people, we can start exploring that place..." The senior looked thoughtful for a moment as Yukari finally perked up.

"You mean... Tartarus...?"

"Tartarus...? What's that? ...sounds like toothpaste." Junpei commented, causing Minato to internally snicker.

 _Heh, toothpaste…_

"We believe we can find the reason for the Dark Hour there," Akihiko explained.

"I hope so..." Yukari mumbled gazing down at her feet.

"The Chairman will give us the details tomorrow night, so be ready."

* * *

Minato bit back a yawn as he barely stayed awake even with Junpei talking to him around about lunch. As the male continued to doze off he noticed Yukari walking in their direction, yawning.

"I thought I was gonna fall asleep in there..." She mumbled, however, before either of the two could formulate a response, the classroom door slid open revealing Mitsuru, who upon spotting them approached the group causing Minato to tense, the argument still on his mind.

"Can I have a minute?" She paused as if daring them to respond back, "Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone."

"Oh, are we having that talk?" Junpei questioned.

"I'll save the details for later. See you there." She explained before going on to leave only to pause mid-step.

"Arisato," Hearing her call his last name made the male tense even more, as he responded.

"Yes, Senpai?"

 _What does she want now?_

"I'd like to have a quick word with you after school."

"…Of course," He responded after a pause.

"Good, meet me in the Student Council room straight after classes have finished." With that, she briskly left the classroom the door sliding shut behind her.

"Wow, she didn't waste any time leaving..." Junpei exclaimed in awe, "But seriously, what the hell's up with her calling you up after school? Did'a get in trouble or somethin'?"

"Something like that…" Minato mumbled, intent on avoiding the topic altogether.

 _Still, though, why would she want to meet with me now?_

"Look Junpei, Minato doesn't seem to be in the mood to answer so just drop the whole thing, besides…" She grumbled, glaring at the classroom door, "She probably wants him to do something related to the Student Council, unlike us."

"Whoa, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?" Junpei joked, nudging Minato, who annoyed at the sudden human contact immediately hit his hand away.

"Well, it's not that I don't like her... She's just..." The brunette trailed off, noticing that neither of the males were paying attention to her, as Junpei continued to annoy the cobalt haired male who at this point had ended up on the other side of his desk, causing Yukari to sigh in exasperation at their antics. Eventually, the afternoon rolled around much to Minato's dread as he soon found himself standing in front of the Student Council room.

 _Okay, breathe… it's not like she'll freeze you in a block of ice._

Sliding the door open he met Mitsuru's eyes almost immediately as she looked up from her work.

"Ah, Arisato, please sit down…" She gestured to the desk chair laid out in front of her, that of which Minato approached, apprehensive as he sat down locking his gaze onto hers as she exhaled.

"Firstly, I'd like to apologise," Mitsuru spoke, much to his surprise as he tilted his head quizzically, "…It wasn't my intention to offend you in any way, however…" Her gaze flickered away for a moment before resting back on him.

"As the leader of S.E.E.S, it is my duty to make sure that the team is not put at risk in the field, especially when it comes to personas and shadows." She closed her eyes before opening them again, her gaze sharp, "Which is why I need to ask you this are you able to control your persona?"

 _Okay, of all things I expected this was not one of them._

He nodded, causing her to eye him sceptically, before letting out a small smile of relief.

"I see… then-"

"But, why ask me this?" A pregnant silence filled the air, as Mitsuru hesitated on an answer forcing Minato to speak up again.

"…That's not all, is it?"

"I'm afraid so…" She spoke soberly, "you see, back when S.E.E.S was first founded we had another member, who also was a persona user."

 _Was?_

"Unfortunately, one day, while we were perusing a rouge shadow outside of Tartarus, they… they lost control of their persona…" She trailed off her expression darkening, "…there was a lot of damage and Akihiko had to be sent to the hospital… there was even a casualty that resulted because of our inexperience."

 _So that's why… can't say I forgive her easily, but, if that's how it is then…_

"I'll be careful, Senpai."

 _I'll play along._

She smiled warily.

"I'll take your word for it." Mitsuru then glanced at the clock near the back of the classroom.

"It seems I've kept you here too long. You should start heading back to the dorm." He raised an eyebrow at this, prompting her to let out a small chuckle.

"Don't worry I'll be there, I'm afraid I have some last minute work for the Student Council to complete before I leave." He nodded going on to leave momentarily pausing as he slid open the classroom door.

"See you later, Senpai." She simply nodded in response as he turned away leaving and heading straight to the dorm. As he entered the Command Room he soon discovered to his surprise that Mitsuru had gotten there before him as she was currently seated in one of the leather bound armchairs. Noticing, Minato's presence Ikusuki spoke up attracting the attention of the room.

"Okay, now that everybody's here. I'd like your undivided attention. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to five. Therefore... Starting tonight at midnight, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus." However, before the man could continue Junpei piped up, confused.

"Sorry... I asked this yesterday, but what's this Tartarus thing again?"

"You haven't seen it, Junpei?" The male only looked at Yukari even more confused as Ikusuki chuckled.

"It's no surprise...since it only appears during the Dark Hour."

"The Dark Hour…?"

 _Oh god, here we go again more exposition at this rate I might just jump out the window..._

"Just like the Shadows... Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a Shadow nest." Akihiko explained.

"Whoa... Their nest, huh...?" Junpei mumbled in awe.

"But, Senpai... what about your injury?" Yukari piped up.

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll only come as far as the entrance," Mitsuru explained.

"...Yeah, I know." Akihiko answered, looking down dejectedly.

"Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't go too far in. Since we're dealing with Shadows, Tartarus isn't something we can avoid." Ikutsuki added, causing the silver-haired boxer to perk up a little.

"Relax, I've got your backs," Junpei exclaimed.

"I'm not so sure about this..." Yukari mumbled glancing around the room.

 _Ah... we're doomed._

* * *

Minato winced as the Dark Hour struck, the sensation although it was something he had naturally adjusted to, now was incredibly jarring almost sending him to the floor as Orpheus grew restless. Like a switch had been flipped, the once quiet persona had been sent into a frenzy practically bouncing in his skull. Biting back a groan he focused his attention onto the large imposing tower taking in the more finer details. Intricately carved floors jutted out freely into the open night air all shielded by large panes of glass in which produced a permeant green glow.

 _So this is Tartarus…_ He thought, as his eyes darted to the top spire of the tower when he tilted his hand, hands fiddling with cords of his now silent headphones.

 _But, if its a shadow nest, then why does it feel so familiar…?_

"This is Tartarus-the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour," Mitsuru explained, watching in amusement at Junpei who currently was gaping in awe and horror at the now completely warped state of the once pristine school.

"Labyrinth...? What are you talking about!? What happened to our school!?" Junpei screamed, alarmed over the sudden transformation as he darted about hoping that he wasn't just experiencing a hallucination.

"Once the Dark Hour passes everything returns to normal," Mitsuru reassured, walking towards the unlocked gate.

"This is the "nest" you were talking about!? But, why!? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower!?" Junpei exclaimed, causing Mitsuru to pause for a brief second and for Minato to notice her brief flinch as he narrowed his gaze.

Just what else are you hiding Senpai? Junpei easily taking her silence as a no suddenly looked disheartened.

"You don't know, either, huh?"

"...No," Mitsuru answered after a brief pause, it was then Yukari spoke up.

"I'm sure it's complicated. Who cares anyway?" She shrugged, "It's not like it would change our minds about fighting." Akihiko nodded in agreement, a fire lit in his gaze.

"Well, maybe now we'll find out, besides, Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it." He grinned, "Exciting, isn't it? There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour..."

"Akihiko, I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be accompanying us today." Mitsuru countered as the boxer grimaced at her words, groaning.

"I know… I know. You don't have to remind me." He mumbled as the small group began to approach the tower. Once inside Minato bit back a groan once again, attempting to focus on the shine of his newly acquired sabre as well as the interior's decor as Orpheus's cries grew louder to the point that they were deafening.

"Whoa... It's just as cool on the inside..." Junpei exclaimed, looking around in awe at the giant clock-like door.

"But, it sure is creepy..." Yukari added, walking up to the baseball-capped male, hand tightly gripped around her Evoker.

"This is only the entrance. The labyrinth lies just beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs." Mitsuru explained when Akihiko spoke up.

"First, we'll have you three get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?"

"What!? By ourselves!?" Yukari frowned, her gaze firmly looked on the two seniors.

"We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here." Mitsuru offered, attempting to reassure the brunette.

"So, you two didn't plan on coming in the first place?" Junpei questioned.

"That's right. We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions." Upon Akihiko explaining, Junpei instantly perked up.

"For real? ...One of us? Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!" As Junpei continued to enthusiastically wave his arms about, Akihiko, continued to watch him for a minute longer before turning to Minato.

"...You're in charge." Shocked, Junpei began protesting loudly.

"W-Wait! Why him!? He doesn't look like a leader!" Minato simply raised an eyebrow at the male's childish reaction.

 _What about you stubble?_

"But, he HAS fought them before..." Yukari explained, causing Junpei to gawk in surprise.

"Seriously?"

"That's true, but there's another reason. You two..." Akihiko then pulled out his evoker pointing it to his temple mildly startling both Junpei and Yukari, "Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like he can?"

"Y-Yeah, of course, I can." Junpei stuttered, still reeling from the boxer's blasé at pointing a gun to his forehead.

"I think so."

Satisfied with their reactions, Akihiko placed his evoker back in its holster.

"These are Shadows we're talking about here. Without your Persona, you're screwed." He warned, however, just as the three juniors walked over to the entrance Minato noted a strange blue door to his left, forcing him to halt.

 _Okay, a strange blue door in the middle of a strange green tower... seems legit._

Heading over to the door, Minato pulled out the now glowing velvet key and unlocked the door before pushing it open, once again finding himself seated in a sea of blue.

"I've been waiting for you." Where the words Igor greeted him with as soon as he walked in Orpheus now completely silent, "The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into... How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power." Igor explained, causing Minato to quizzically tilt his head to the side.

"The nature of my power…?" He mumbled dryly.

"Your power is… unique. It's like the number zero... It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You, my boy, are able to possess multiple Personas and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp... But, do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly... Be sure to keep that in mind." Igor tapped his fingers against the table cloth, "My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord. I'll tell you then about my true role... the manner in which I can best assist you. Until then... Farewell." Once again Minato lost consciousness, however, by the time he came to he was standing at the entrance. Blinking, he snapped out of his stupor just as Yukari and Junpei walked over concern written on their faces.

"Hey, are you alright?" Yukari questioned.

"Yeah, what's up? You look like a zombie." Junpei added.

I know I do, no need to rub it in…

"Nothing." Minato bluntly answered.

"Don't tell me you just dozed off! You're like that coach who fell asleep during the championship game! Come on, man. You're s'posed to be our leader."

"Cut him some slack. If nothing's wrong, then let's get going." Nodding, the three then proceeded to enter through the clock like door, darkness clouded their vision momentarily as they soon found themselves in the middle of a wide bloodstained corridor.

"So, this is it, huh...?"

"I hope I don't get lost…"

 _"Can you all hear me?"_ Mitsuru questioned, causing Minato to flinch at her voice in his ear.

"Whoa! is that you, Senpai?" Junpei exclaimed as he glanced around.

 _"Yes, I'll be providing audio backup from here on out."_

"Wait... Ya mean, you can see inside here?" Junpei questioned.

 _"It's my Persona's ability. I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That's why outside support is imperative._ " Mitsuru explained.

"Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better..." Yukari mumbled as she looked around.

 _"Now, based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect."_

"Right!" Junpei grinned.

"Got it! Why is she always like that." Mumbling the last part to herself, Yukari began moving forward with the other two males upon noticing that the two were close to a corner.

"Alright! I can't wait to murder those sons of-" However, before the baseball-capped male could continue walking, Minato cut him off.

"Enough, you're too loud, Senpai can you tell us their exact location?"

 _"They should be right next to you, get close enough and you can ambush them."_ Devising a plan Minato motioned Yukari and Junpei to come closer, before dropping his voice to a whisper.

 _Okay, so assuming Junpei swings the katana around like a baseball bat, that is more than likely going to hit me in that I also stay in the frontline, soo…_

"Junpei, I want you to be the main vanguard but don't move until a give you the signal,"

"Sweet!"

 _Considering that Yukari's weapon is a bow best chance comes in at…_

"Yukari, you think you can remain in the back to cover us with your bow?" Yukari nodded fiddling with the string of her bow, however, just as Minato was about to give the signal he paused recalling Yukari's previous hesitance to summon her persona.

"Yukari?" Surprised at hearing the male call her, she tensed.

"Um, what is it?"

"Can you summon your persona properly?" He inquired.

"I'm sure," She answered once again fiddling with her bow, aware that he wasn't going to get a better affirmation than that he peered around the corner, watching the shadows drag themselves along the floor a sight that vaguely reminded him of the strange shadow Orpheus had killed.

"Good," Minato gripped his sabre tighter as he turned to them gripping onto his evoker, "let's go." With no warning, Junpei let out a war cry as he recklessly flew past Minato and slashed at the hoard staining the halls with black blood as more became alerted to his presence.

 _Junpei you idiot!_

Cursing, Minato followed the male as he pulled the evoker up to his head and pulled the trigger.

 _Click_

 _What?_

He pulled the trigger again.

 _Click_

The sound practically invaded his senses, as he pulled the trigger a few more times.

 _Click_

 _Clickclickclick_

Growling he practically slammed the evoker back in its holster he leapt into action, urging Orpheus to at least do something, but the persona felt despondent now like something had blocked its connection with him. However, he quickly turned his attention from that to his team as Junpei and Yukari began to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of shadows the baseball-capped male had attracted with the sheer volume of his voice.

 _Right, I need to help…_

Leaping into action he dodged Junpei's astray blade and began slicing and hacking at the shadows dancing between their claws and friendly fire (although instead of actual fire it was was wind) as he bathed the walls and him in the black substance, fighting away a grin that forced itself on his face.

It made him feel alive again.

And it was then that Orpheus finally began to tug at his mind and with fluid movement he placed the evoker to his head and pulled the trigger finally summoning the Greek harpist and bathing the area in flame finishing off the last of the stragglers and not killing his teammates, leaving them to stare at him in shock.

"Dude… Where in the world did ya get power like that!?" Junpei exclaimed.

"From the old man in an elevator…" Minato mumbled as he staggered to his feet.

"Ha, good one…" Junpei chuckled only to double back on seeing Minato's expression, "Wait, you're serious!?" However, before the male could respond, Yukari spoke.

"Never mind that… we should probably move on. I don't know about you but, waiting around for too long gives me the creeps…" Yukari mumbled tentatively, as she fiddled with her bowstring.

"Scared Yuka-tan?" Junpei egged, forcing the girl to snap at him indignantly.

"In your dreams Stupei!"

Somewhere, along with the argument, he could hear Mitsuru sigh, before speaking to him individually.

 _"Do you mind dealing with them Arisato?"_ He simply hummed in response before heading over to the duo.

"Now, if you both have stopped bickering like children can we move on?" He spoke dully despite the sharpness of his gaze, forcing both parties to nod hastily in response. Nodding back the three then proceeded on scouring the rest of the floor easily dispatching any shadow they came across, eventually clearing the entire floor of them.

 _"Good job you three, you've managed to clear the entire floor of shadows... Hmm, Arisato?"_ Hearing his name being called the male hummed in acknowledgement, "Do you notice the hallway at the opposite end room?"

"Yes," Looking into the hallway he noticed a unique looking machine stationed there.

 _"Try touching that machine over there, there's something that I want to check."_ Walking forward, Minato reached out to touch it when Yukari stopped him.

"What if it's dangerous?"

 _Huh, good question._

"If it is, then... Junpei, you do it." Minato drawled, causing the male to look at him in horror.

"What!? But you're the leader! You do it!"

 _So now you play the leader card..._

Deciding not to argue any further (mainly due to the fact that he was hungry), Minato simply went ahead and touched it, disappearing in a flash of green light causing the other two to panic.

"You idiot! Why couldn't you just do it when he told you to? He probably needs our help right now!" Yukari snapped.

"Me!? Why should I be the one to do it!? He was the leader and a leader needs to do all his leadery responsibilities!"

"Leadery? That's not even a word!" As the two continued to bicker, Minato found himself appearing back into the first floor of Tartarus.

 _Huh, so it was a teleportation device... somehow I'm not surprised._

"Welcome back. So, how was it?" Mitsuru greeted before glancing at the empty spaces beside him, "Although, where are-" However before Mitsuru could ask anything else she was cut off by a flash of green and Junpei screaming.

"Ouch! Hey! What the hell was that for!" Junpei yelled rubbing the top of his head where Yukari hit.

"Because you're an idiot." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"I see, that you two are fine then?" Mitsuru questioned icily, irritated from hearing them bicker, for a moment Minato could have sworn the room temperature had dropped several degrees, causing him to let out an involuntary shiver and the room to go completely silent.

 _Note to self; Never ever, piss Senpai off unless you want to end up as a popsicle or an ice sculpture..._ Before anything else could occur, Minato spoke up catching the attention of the entire room.

"Back to your earlier question Senpai, it was no problem."

"I see." Mitsuru smiled, the temperature instantly returning to its normal level causing the rest of the group to let out a series of collective sighs, "Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved."

"But man to think I had that kind of power! We kicked some ass! But damn, I'm beat..."

"That's cuz you were bouncin' around like a little kid." Yukari sassed.

"You look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan." Junpei countered.

"I'm still trying to catch my breath, actually..."

"That's the effect of the Dark Hour; you'll become fatigued more easily. Don't worry, though, you'll adapt. But, I'm surprised... You all did much better than I expected. At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time, Akihiko."

"Heh, we'll see about that,"

* * *

Minato wasn't sure what would be more entertaining right now; gouging his eyes out with a spoon or slamming his head into the nearest wall (not that there where any walls close by). Hell, at this rate Minato considered hanging out with Akihiko at this point regardless of how hellish the boxer's training regime was that morning (which much to his annoyance had left him with several stitches and feeling like he died three times over).

God did his Senpai make him feel like an unfit bastard.

Hey! Here's a joke though.

How does one live through Akihiko's training regime?

They don't.

So when Minato discovered who the new student council president was he attempted to stay awake curious about Mitsuru's speech.

"So, she did get elected." Yukari mumbled as Mitsuru stepped up to the podium, "Well... I guess she IS the most popular girl in school."

"You can say that again! There's like some kinda aura around her... Besides, this school's owned by the Kirijo Group, right?" Junpei commented.

"Yeah, I try not to think about that." This caused Minato to raise an eyebrow at her statement.

 _Hmm..._

"As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions... To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future... For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."

 _Impressive,_ Minato thought as the student body applauded for her as she stood back from the podium.

"Dang... That was freaking amazing..." Junpei mumbled before turning to him, "So... Do you have any idea what she just said?" Minato nearly sighed.

"Of course you don't..." Minato mumbled.

"Well do you know what she said?"

"She just said in order to accommodate for the future you have to change someway in the present without forgetting about reality." However, his explanation only fell on deaf ears as Junpei looked at him perplexed, whereas Yukari sighed from behind them.

Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

Blue.

Once again, all Minato could see was blue. A shade that only brought back memories of a small girl curled against him.

Crying.

Mourning.

Tears running down her cheeks, she continues to sob as they buried his family under.

 _Thunk!_

The first mound of dirt was shovelled in.

 _Thunk!_

They're disappearing underground.

 _Thunk!_

Fists beating against the wood of the coffin as they attempt to leave.

 _Thunk!_

 ** _Are you going to continue lying there, brother?_**

Minato wakes up, sweating, hot, trying to convince himself that he's no longer able to hear her. He looks around, his dorm room as quiet as ever as he starts to move, dragging the covers off him.

He needed to call Naoto.

Dragging off the sheets he barely latched onto the plastic covering of his phone as it dangerously tipped over the edge of his bed. Flipping it open he fumbled with the digits as his hands had yet to stop shaking.

...

...

...

 _"...Hello?"_ A groggy voice answered from the other line.

 _Must be still half asleep..._ He thought, amused.

"Naoto," He paused wondering how to mention that he was hallucinating again, " **She** spoke to me again."

He could practically see her frowning on the other line.

 _"I see... the antipsychotics they prescribed to you,"_ She paused, _"They aren't helping with your PTSD at all are they?"_

"Not at all, in fact, I'm starting to wonder if it's gotten worse since coming here. I mean this is..." He shook the thought away, there's no way he would be able to approach their graves without seeing her at least once.

 _"Where they died right?"_ He didn't respond before hearing her hesitate on the other line, _"...I think you should stop taking them,"_

He let out a half smile.

"And I think you're right."

She sighed.

 _"You were waiting for me to say that, weren't you? If not Grandfather's permission, then mine."_

"No, besides, it's about time I got rid of them." He could see her raise an eyebrow a this.

 _"What do you mean?"_

"I've gotten headaches from them lately not only that, but they also happen to taste horribly bitter."

 _Okay, so that was a half lie, but, she doesn't need to know the real cause._

 _"I see..."_ She paused, _"But, I'm worried... Nii-san, so please, don't do something stupid."_ He tilts his head at this.

"What do you mean?"

 _"You only disobey Grandfather when you want to do something stupid."_

"Right, then I'll make sure I don't disappoint."

 _"...Nii-san,"_

"Don't worry, Naoto. If I cheated death once, I can do it again." He paused, "I'll make sure to contact you more often, okay?"

 _"Fine."_

* * *

Minato barely sidestepped the speeding creature before summoning Nekomata the feline-like woman easily sliced through the creature before being dismissed by Minato who watched as it died with a pitiful scream, the gold withering into black as it burned away.

 _"It seems you've managed to wipe the entire floor of rare shadows out. Good work."_ Mitsuru commented.

"Hell yeah, we did good!" Junpei celebrated, wiping the sweat off his brow as he proceeded to fist pump the air. "And dude! You have some seriously badass Personas!" The male simply shook his head at Junpei's response.

"It was nothing."

"Still, to think we caught at least three of those bastards!" Junpei exclaimed bouncing on the balls of his feet, "At this rate, we'll be unstoppable!"

"Jeez, calm down, as much as I want to celebrate don't you think its kinda weird that we've only been running into rare Shadows?" Yukari muttered, fixing up her bow.

"Ah! Who cares! It just means that we can get rich off these, babies!" Junpei exclaimed as he brought up their winnings, the gold coins shining brightly under the dim lights.

"But-" However before another argument could breakout Minato silenced them gaze drifting back towards the hallway.

"That's enough," Minato demanded sharply before pausing, "Senpai, do have an idea of where the stairs are?" He inquired, fiddling with the cords of his headphones unsure of the restlessness that was buried itself in the pit of his stomach.

 _"Unfortunately, they don't seem to be nearby... Although, what-"_

Minato froze, as the sound of chains echoed from nearby, dragging, twisting they moved in erratic coils. For a moment everything, stilled and all he could hear or see was chains rattling as they moved closer.

Inching closer.

Winding around him.

Binding, as they chained him down whispering of sweet dreams in the embrace of death.

And then, he was forcefully hauled away, with a sharp tug on his wrist he was dragged further from it. Lost as Mitsuru screamed in a calm panic in his head to react, as Yukari yelped every time a gunshot left them with a near miss, the area around them smelling of gunpowder and as Junpei hollered out curses to the world attempting to gulp down as much air as he could. And then it appeared. A single bulbous eye glared down on them peering out from the crimson stained sack it called a head; it twitched, its bloody black robes shaking with restrained capricious movement as the chains rattled once more ghosting a voice.

 **You...** It groaned, forcing Minato to place his feet down as he gazed up at it. His teammates stopping immediately as they shouted at him to come with them and for a moment it seemed to have worked as he ran back at his teammates... only to shove them into the teleportation machine facing away from the flash of green as he went on to face the Reaper.

 **It is you...** It hissed, voice scratchy, illegible, like nails being scraped against a chalkboard, the creature shifted towering over Minato.

 **Brother...** Minato froze, feeling something primal within him echo back a response, tearing it chains into him and digging its claws into the percipience his mind.

 **Why...?** It began chipping at his mind now, peeling away layers of fog.

A growl.

The smell of gunpowder and smoke clouding his senses.

Blood spattered on the pavement.

And-

Minato hissed in pain, his mind refusing to cooperate any further as the memory shattering into fragments before scattering, leaving him disoriented and backing away.

He needed to leave.

This thing... it knew him.

And he loathed it.

He lifted the evoker to his head and pulled the trigger, embracing a spike in energy.

The heat made his skin blister, smoke and ash filling the air before him as Orpheus emerged, steel joints moving with fluid movement as it unleashed a blast of heat, searing the creature's robes as it screeched in pain, recoiling as its pistols wavered carelessly in the air firing blindly. Bullets ricocheted across the walls and before Minato knew it he was dodging left and right the smell of gunpowder mixing with smoke suffocating him. Recovering, the creature shot once again this time wildly as Minato attempted to flee to the teleporter.

Pain exploded through Minato's right shoulder as the bullet tore through skin and bone shattering his joints and sending him collapsing to the floor like a ragdoll, evoker flying out of its holster as it clattered against the tiles nearby. Stone cracked under the force as blood splattered on the walls, dripping down his clothes and staining the tiles. Curled in on himself, Minato barely kept conscious as his vision blurred hardly keeping track of the creature's movements as it stalked towards him. Pistol pointed directly at his forehead as the barrel pressed against his skin as Minato feebly attempted to reach for the gun. Intelligence no longer hung behind the creature's gaze instead the Reaper glared down at him with unchained fury.

 _Come on!_

And it pulled the trigger.

* * *

Mitsuru scrambled to the teleporter upon hearing it activate were from the green glow fell two figures, Junpei and Yukari. Both of which fell in a heap dazed as the senior dashed towards them, with Mitsuru leaning down to help them before pausing upon realisation of their cobalt haired leader was not among them.

"Where's Arisato?" She questioned softly as she healed the brunette, careful not to push Yukari any further upon noting her current state of shock. The girl, white as a sheet as she stared blankly forward to the walls of Tartarus. Beside her, Junpei, who she had healed before had promptly passed out soon after the effects kicked in, pale and shivering from both shock and horror if anything where to be gathered from his expression. Seeing that both were out of commission she cursed at herself for being so careless. To think she had been foolish enough to let them go in during a time when Tartarus had been unstable.

"Takeba?" She tried again, but the girl remained motionless. Once again, she cursed internally, her connection with Minato had been cut off the moment she left the side of her bike preventing her from contacting him.

All she needed right now was be for a bad situation to get worse.

"...Minato," Yukari whispered, bring Mitsuru's attention to the brunette, "He... he stayed behind."

She froze.

 _There's no way..._ Fear coiled in the pit of her stomach.

"He shoved us through the teleporter..." Yukari mumbled, exhaustion intertwined with her tone, "And faced it alone."

Once again, there was another death on her hands.

* * *

It failed, through the sheer miracle of Minato pulling the trigger in time unleashing Jack Frost, with a hee-hoo it easily unleashed a powerful blow of ice casing the barrel and stunning the reaper momentarily as the weapon backfired, causing a small explosion as Minato dragged himself to his feet. Staggering Minato barely scrambled up the strength of switching personas watching as the snow fairy shattered, replaced with Angel as the woman giggled.

"Sukukaja," He commanded as a green glow surrounded him, embracing the feeling of being lightweight before bolting to the portal ignoring the pain shooting through his shoulder before gripping onto the metal frame of the machine as he looked back locking eyes with the Reaper.

 _See You!_ He then let himself fall backwards the green glow surrounding him as he disappeared. When he emerged again, Minato fell to the floor in a heap, blankly staring at the ceiling of Tartarus, from nearby shuffling was heard along with footsteps as Yukari and Mitsuru moved to his side both girls shocked by his appearance with Yukari looking like she had seen a ghost.

"Y-you're alive...?" Mitsuru mumbled breathlessly as she caught up to Yukari, gazing down at the male, evoker clenched tightly in her hand.

"And bleeding out." The male answered bluntly drained as his eyes began to flutter closed, for a moment Mitsuru held the evoker to her head gaze narrowed down to where he was shot and fired, echoing the sound of shattering glass as a green glow surrounded Minato, lulling him into darkness.

* * *

Mitsuru watched as the morning light filtered through the window of the hospital, the breeze gently swaying the curtains as her gaze wandered to where Minato lay fast asleep. The male had nearly given her a heart attack when he slipped into unconsciousness, but, once again it was unwarranted as he had remained breathing, still, regardless of her healing he was immediately rushed to the hospital the moment they got back to the dorm having lost quite a bit of blood along with Junpei and Yukari who where still suffering the after-effects of shock.

It was an incredibly long night.

She exhaled, Akihiko had yet to question her on what happened, instead, the senior had left giving her a look demanding that she explain things later, before choosing to console the two juniors and leaving her with the cobalt-haired enigma.

Right, Mitsuru's gaze hardened as she glared down at the teen, she still needed to reprimand him for purposefully and fool-heartedly for placing himself in danger.

Danger, that could have very well killed him and threaten the lives of others had they'ed attempted to go back for him.

She shook her head, right now wasn't the time for her to get carried away, she had a duty to uphold and Minato had yet to wake up, let alone recover.

"...Ngh" Minato let out a slight groan, causing her attention to snap to him once again, however, instead of him waking up the male's face had scrunched up to one Mitsuru could only describe as being in pain when he shifted.

"Mina...ko," He mumbled, causing Mitsuru to gaze at him in surprise.

This was new.

"...I'm sorry," His speech grew broken, body contorting and twisting as if he were trapped, revealing to Mitsuru the first change in emotion, other then the apathy she had grown used to seeing in the small time they had known each other, "please... leave me..." Hearing this, her gaze softened.

 _What happened to you to cause you such pain?_

He lurched pulling on the IV drip and nearly sending it over had Mitsuru not caught it, the steel feeling like ice in her grip as her stomach lurched, watching the male thrash in the bed gripped by a nightmare. Placing the IV drip aside (and making sure that it would fall again) she called out his last name attempting to shake the male awake.

"Arisato, wake up…" She shook him slightly harder, "It just a nightmare, wake up."

God was she horrible at this.

However, regardless of how Mitsuru felt doing this, the male stilled, his breathing no longer laboured as he calmed down leaving her relived as she went to move back to the plastic chair only to pause upon hearing him groan as Minato this time woke up. For a moment, Minato had yet to realise where he was, instead, he groaned again blurry eyed as he shifted turning away from the sunlight only to find himself eye to eye with Mitsuru who currently stood above him.

"Senpai?" The male questioned as his voice croaked, looking around the room, "Where-"

"Don't talk," The redhead commanded, moving to pour him a glass of water, "Here." Taking it from her hands he gulped the water down greedily, before handing the glass back to her, which she placed aside. A pregnant pause filled the room until Minato spoke up.

"How long was I out this time?"

"A day, although…" Mitsuru trailed off, contemplating whether she should ask him about the nightmare or not before deciding against it, "Do you remember what happened before you passed out?" Hearing this Minato looked down, expression unreadable as he spoke.

"…Maybe?" He answered, "I… can't really remember, everything after being shot was a haze… although." He finally looked up, a blank look stretched across his face.

 _Almost like a mask,_ Mitsuru mused.

"...Nevermind, its nothing."

"Very well, now that's out of the way." Her gaze hardened, "What were you thinking?" For a moment the male looked confused, before returning to a blank slate.

"Fool hardly staying behind even though you could have escaped and letting yourself get shot in the process…" She glared, "You could have easily endangered the lives of yourself and everyone else had you not been able to get away as you did. Don't you realise that your actions can have severe consequences for both you and everyone else?"

He stayed silent.

"Regardless, as field leader of S.E.E.S, I expect that you rectify this mistake. You are lucky both Yukari and Junpei came out mostly unscathed had you not pushed them through the teleportation device as you did." She paused letting it sink in, "I ask that you think about this."

He remained silent, before nodding.

"Good, now I'll be going to call in a doctor to check you over." With that, she left disappearing behind the door.

* * *

 _How boring,_ Minato thought as remained seated in the auditorium watching the Principle onstage, vainly and blatantly plagiarising his Senpai's speech as the man droned on an on about proverbs.

 _To think his ego was harmed that badly by the school's queen…_

It was safe to say he mildly irritated by the plump man's presence.

Regardless, it wasn't long before Minato found himself inside the classroom the place feeling stuffier than usual as he fiddled with the cords of his headphones waiting for the class to end. To his luck, it did, only for the door to open not long after revealing a familiar set of crimson eyes and hair. He hadn't spoken to Mitsuru since being admitted in hospital but that was fine, the woman had a habit of being too busy to talk, so her appearance at the door of the classroom and walking over to them was nothing short of being odd.

"Arisato…" She spoke, standing near the edge of his desk, "I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you after school. I have a special request for you." She explained, causing the male to tilt his head in confusion.

"Why?"

"I apologise for being in a rush, but I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else. I'll tell you more about it after school, okay? Au revoir." With that she left, leaving Minato to deal with Junpei and his incessant teasing as well as being the on the receiving end of few daggers from all points of the classroom. By the time the day ended, Minato found himself standing face to face with the redhead.

"I apologise for making you wait. To make a long story short, I want you to join the Student Council as my secretary." Hearing this, the male internally groaned, but fought the urge the decline her outright and instead opted for a more safer route that wouldn't make him into an ice sculpture... not that he was sure how she would react if he did.

"Why so sudden?"

"Well, it's not like you have to participate in every activity, I'm just asking you to assist me with paperwork and other tasks for the student council. It's not compulsory either, so just come to the Student Council Room when you have the time." She assured him, as he raised an eyebrow in reservation.

"That's it?" Minato inquired, sceptically.

"Yes, that's it," she answered before continuing.

"Being President is very time-consuming. I'd like to have additional help available in the event of an emergency. Also, its to keep an eye on you as well, think of as a way to amend for what happened in Tartarus." She explained.

 _Of course…_

"Fine..." He finally spoke up, causing Mitsuru to send him an appreciative smile upon hearing his answer.

"I knew I could count on you. I've already made an appointment for you with the faculty advisor. But, you'll have to go to the Faculty Office on your own."

 _Just what the hell did I get myself into...?_

"I'm sorry I made the arrangements without your permission, but I hope you understand the position I'm in. Please go to the Faculty Office, Arisato. I'll be waiting for you in the Student Council Room." As per her request, Minato as soon as she left headed straight for the faculty office before heading to the student council room where he was introduced to the rest of the council by Mitsuru.

"This is Minato Arisato, starting today he will be my secretary. So if you have any questions regarding smaller matters such as going through certain disciplinary actions or any other relevant matters around that scale be sure to ask him."

"So, the president handpicked you, huh? Then you must be rather special than to catch her attention." A dark-haired male commented before stretching out his hand in the gesture of offering a handshake.

"Hidetoshi Odagiri, I'm the Disciplinary Committee Representative. Nice to meet you." Shaking his hand Minato dully noted the look the senior was giving him before withdrawing his hand to the side.

"I-I'm Chihiro Fushimi, the assistant treasurer, i-it's nice to meet you Senpai," Chihiro spoke, stuttering nervously as she did. Soon enough, Minato had finally settled down into the student council room after being introduced to the rest of the council, with the first two introductions sticking out in particular. Eventually, as the evening rolled around Minato and Mitsuru headed back to the dorm having finished their student council duties where they were greeted by Junpei upon heading inside.

"...S'up, dude? Yo! I heard Mitsuru-senpai asked you to join the Student Council! Senpai, are you sure you wanna let this slacker in?"

How fast does news spread around this school? Again, do people seriously not have anything better to do with their lives...

"I simply asked for his assistance. I don't intend to burden him with too many responsibilities. Why, are you interested in helping too, Iori?" Upon having the question turned upon him the male grimaced.

"Oh, uh... I'll pass. But, thanks for the offer." Minato then left the two in the lounge after exchanging a quick goodbye and headed back to his room where he lounged around the rest of the night, simply listening to music.

* * *

Minato sighed for what seemed like the fourth time today, having been forced to tag along Elizabeth's shenanigans or as she likes to view it as completing one of her requests; he had been on the receiving end of countless eyes over what he liked to call 'a million yen from a bulging purse being poured down a gutter of where wishes go to die.'

 _Yep, real original,_ he thought, as they continued to walk around Paulownia mall. Regardless, he didn't mind the unnecessary stroll for engagement, although… his gaze travelled toward Elizabeth, who at this point was caught up in her fantasies of the implications over what Club Escapade actually embroils when in reality the club was actually closed.

 _Her experience with the outside world can't be that minimal, right?_ However, his question was soon answered as she no longer held any interest over the club, instead, her attention lay elsewhere as soon as she spotted three more corner fountains.

 _I swear to God if she-_ Minato was snapped out of his thoughts upon feeling his wrist encased in a vice-like grip as he was half dragged, half thrown with a surprising amount of force by Elizabeth to the other side of the mall faster then he could say, no.

"To think not only is this place a host to one but, a trio of fountain spirits…" As Elizabeth looked on in awe, the cobalt-haired male attempted to tear his hand away only to nearly fall back as she released his hand to instead pull out another bulging purse.

 _Don't tell me she's going to pour another three million yen!?_

"Elizabeth," The said woman turned around to face him, her gold eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Yes, Minato-sama?" He felt himself cringe at the way she addressed him.

"For the last time, just call me Minato," Minato sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose as she continued to look at him questioningly.

"Of course, Minato… sama." She answered before once again proceeding to pour over a million yen down the drain.

 _You know what? I give up, there is no hope for this woman…_

As the last of the coins left Elizabeth's purse, the eccentric woman then proceeded to resume her tour of Paulownia mall, only to stop before they entered the backstreets causing the cobalt-haired male to pause as well.

"Well I had a pleasant time today to think there would be a trio of fountain spirits," She smiled bowing before him, "I do hope, that when the time comes you will indulge me once again as apart of my requests." Numbly, he nodded, slightly dazed over the sudden change in her demeanour causing the woman to giggle.

"Oh and about your reward it will be delivered to you shortly." Minato barely had time to react as small silk cloth was flung at his head, causing the male to look questionably at Elizabeth upon unravelling it.

 _A miniature cheongsam? The hell am I supposed to do with this?_

"It is for fusing Hua Po, a lovely little girl who I'm sure would be a perfect asset to your team. Farewell," With that, she left disappearing behind the deep blue door that lit up the small alley. Finally free of the mad woman's clutches, Minato sighed once again as he proceeded to stuff the small silk clothing into his pocket before leaving the days events numbly playing away in his mind as he returned to the dorm.

* * *

The next day, passed rather quickly for Minato having been around Yukari in the morning, the girl offered some insight over the recent rise in Apathy Syndrome cases. To which Minato nearly entertained the idea of beating up one of the victims after encountering them in the middle of the night on his way back from Changhall Café. He quickly discarded the notion after watching them shamble about and moan like a zombie. Regardless, as after-school rolled around he had been talking to Junpei when the male seemingly remembered something.

"By the way Akihiko Senpai's at the hospital getting a checkup. Called me earlier, and asked me to bring him something." The male then began pointing triumphantly to himself, "Yup, he knows who to count on."

"I'm pretty sure it's because you have nothing else to do after school…" Minato mumbled absently to himself, watching as the male ignored him, instead preferring to revel in the fact that he was important for once, whereas Yukari upon hearing them began walking over.

"I bet he asked you cuz you have nothing to do after school." She snidely remarked, causing the baseball-capped male to fake a look of hurt.

 _What I said…_

"H-Hey I resent that!" The male yelled in protest causing the girl to giggle.

"I'm kidding, so what he'd ask you to bring that was so important anyway?" The male held up a single sheet of paper.

"The class roster for 2-E, I dunno why though…" The male trailed off.

"Well then we can all ask him when we get there," She chirped, before heading out through the door, prompting the two males to follow. By the time they entered the room in which Akihiko was getting a checkup they where greeted with the unexpected sight of another male instead of Akihiko. Broad shoulders hidden under a long peacoat, a beanie and a near-permanent scowl turned to face them upon hearing the door open when Junpei spoke up.

"Umm... Is... Akihiko-senpai…?"

"…" The man stayed silent instead he simply watched them from his seat in the chair.

"...In this room? By any chance?" Just as Junpei finished the door opened, revealing the senior boxer as looked at the trio surprised by their appearance.

"What are all of you guys doing here?"

"We came to see you!" Yukari exclaimed before scanning the male up and down, "But... it doesn't look like anything's wrong with you."

"I'm just here for a checkup," Akihiko answered when the intimidating man stood up.

"Is that it, Aki?" The male questioned.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Tch, I don't have time for this shit." The male then approached them as he went out, only to pause momentarily when he locked eyes with Minato, the two having a miniature staring contest before the man headed out the door.

"Wh-Who was that?" Junpei spoke up finally breaking the silence.

"A friend from school... sort of." The boxer bit back a sigh, "You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases have been increasing? Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him about it. Hey Junpei, did you bring what I asked?"

"Of course, Senpai." The male saluted, handing over the class roster, taking it Akihiko thanked him before unexpectedly swinging his arm, testing the muscle.

"Uh, you shouldn't move your arm…" The junior commented hesitantly.

"It's nothing." The senior waved Junpei's concern off, moving his arm more in a motion of shadow boxing, "I've wasted enough time already. I need to get back to my training."

"Yeah!" Infected by Akihiko's enthusiasm he grinned, "Gekkoukan's golden boy! He was born to be in the ring!" This caused Akihiko to halt letting his arm drop to his side as he looked at the baseball-cap-wearing male perplexed.

"Sometimes, I really don't get you."

"By the way, Senpai, why boxing?" Yukari inquired.

"You mean, why did I choose that sport? Well…" He scratched the back of his neck as he gathered his words, "It's not the sport itself I like; I just wanted to learn how to fight. I know what it's like to feel powerless... and I don't want to feel that way again. Besides, I'm curious to see how strong I can get. It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it." Junpei mumbled, before pointing to himself, "Ya know, I'm into games too…"

"Yeah, VIDEO games." Yukari berated.

"Hey, they're good for hand-eye coordination!" The male countered.

"He's not wrong, although…" Minato explained causing Yukari to eye him sceptically as the male continued, "that only works in a case of moderation, which I'm pretty sure Junpei lacks." His answer only caused Junpei to look at him indecorously.

"What!? Man, not you too!"

* * *

When Minato awoke it was during the familiar haze of the Dark Hour, trapped in a sleep enticed haze as he attempted to gaze half asleep from his spot under the sheets fully aware of the other presence in his room.

"Hi, how've you been?" The boy greeted, having reappeared before his vision, donning his ever permeant smile as he stared down at the male somewhat expecting a snarky remark. Instead, Minato gave none instead he simply greeted them with silence as he stared up at the boy mentally cursing his existence when the boy continued.

"It's been a while." The boy tilted his head quizzically, "Are you well?"

Again no response.

"One week from now, there will be a full moon…" The boy remarked, although this time the Cheshire grin had long fallen from his face, instead, it was replaced with a look of contemplation. Something that hadn't gone unnoticed from Minato's view as he finally snapped out of his daze, the boy's words setting him on edge.

"Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you…" The boy warned, rousing Minato further from his slumber as he uttered a question, the words barely escaping his chapped lips as a croak.

"An ordeal…?"

The boy nodded solemnly at this.

"Yes, on such days you will face your greatest challenges." He then paused, as if to gather his words, "You must prepare for the ordeal, but time is of the essence…" He then trailed off, " But, I'm sure you're aware of that, of course." Minato momentarily considered rolling his eyes at his last remark, but instead chose to silently listen to the boy now that he was fully awake.

"I'll come see you again when it's over." The boy smiled as he tilted his head, "Goodbye for now" With that the boy had disappeared leaving Minato alone in the room, who blinked owlishly at the boy's disappearance before cursing them upon realising that he was now fully awake.

 _I'm gonna murder that kid one day._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Happy Birthday to my favourite red-haired empress! I still can't believe that Morgana potentially has a human form and as for the two new characters, holy hell does it look like that Royal is potentially much longer than P5. Regardless, apologies for the really long, lack of updating I got attacked by the dreaded piece known as writer's block but I powered through and now have to release the second part of this chapter. Now, onto the more important things as you can see in the current chapter Orpheus can only be summoned under certain conditions, these are;**

 **\- When Minato has enough energy or power to summon him (this is for later chapters)**

 **\- When Minato manages to kill or greatly injure a shadow normally (think about like the boost system in Persona Q and Q2 when you hit a shadow's weakness or gain a critical hit on them)**

 **The reason for this is due to the fact that certain persona is still locked within Minato, unlike in the games and movie that the persona tears its way out of Orpheus and its power is momentarily released, the power this time stays locked within Orpheus. Essentially, Minato who at this point would normally be summoning a level 1 Orpheus is basically summoning a level 64 one in this book which has learned all the higher tier spells fire. An example of this would be with the Magician full moon boss in which Orpheus uses the spell 'Agidyne' to dispose of it. As for the reason in which this is happening well…**

 **I guess you lot have to just wait and see!**

 **UPDATE:**

 **You're all probably wondering what's taking so long. Well, I have this to say, I am in a bit of a creative rut that isn't helped by the fact that I'm just starting the senior year, which so far is incredibly intense and as a result, I have a backlog of studies, but nevermind that... I have decided to formally apologise, mainly for my absence and a lack of an update. I DO intend to finish this, just for now I ask that you all continue to be patient I will work through this by going back and editing bits and pieces there, but for now-**

 **Thank you.**

 **Thank you for supporting this story, I honestly hadn't assumed that it would garner attention when I first started it up... so yeah.**


End file.
